Feudal Love
by Noelani
Summary: Feudal Love is based 20 years after Kagome & Inuyasha return to the future era. This story is based on Jesse their daughter & her battle againt a new evil that has all of Feudal Era in a panic. Can she, with powers she can't fully control, win this war?
1. Into The Feudal Era

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Part 1

Into the Feudal Era

"JAAKU!"1

"I AM NOT A JERK!"

"YES, YOU ARE, YOU LECHER2!"

"STOP CALLING ME NAMES!"

"Kirara, is it just me or do they do this every day?" Tanbun sighed as Hikari walked up. Kirara jumped into her arms and curled into a ball, waiting for the fight to end. Hikari shook her head when she heard a loud thud signaling the end of the fight. Her and Tanbun walked over to survey the damage caused by the two fighters.

Seiun and I laid there on the ground, dazed from the magic attacks we had just unleashed on each other. Tanbun walked over to me and gulped, "Jesse, are you alright?"

I sat up and sighed, "Yeah, I'm fine." I looked over at Seiun who had already stood, "Hiretsukan."3 He glared at me, daring me to say it again. I snorted and jumped up, "Not worth my time." Hikari laughed at the sight of me and her brother fighting.

Tanbun transformed into his human form, "This is really getting old, you do this every day."

"He started it!" I exclaimed.

"I did not!" Seiun shot back.

Yuukei surveyed the bickering from afar, "If you ask me, they all need to get a grip on reality. Trouble's brewing and they're too wrapped up in their fighting that they can't even sense it."

Idaten jumped on his shoulder, "I'm afraid you're right, my Lady and her friends are clueless to what lies ahead of them."

Yuukei rolled his eyes and picked Idaten up, "Get off me, flea." With that he threw him high into the air.

A few seconds later I turned around and shot my hand out, catching Idaten, "If you want to get rid of him, next time throw him in the opposite direction!"

Yuukei snorted, "Watch it Cuz, I don't need you to be lecturing me on how to dispose of a puny flea."

"Sure seems like it to me." Yuukei walked over to us as Tanbun's father, Shippo, showed up.

"Come on kids, it's time for training." We all sighed and followed him to my house.

When we arrived at the shrine our parents were waiting for us. "So, what's on the agenda today?" Hikari asked them.

"Testing." I turned and there stood Sesshomaru.

"Humph, how fun," I snorted.

He glared at me, "Watch your tongue, little one." I stuck my tongue out at him just to make him mad. Tanbun giggled but straightened up when Sesshomaru glared at him. I laughed as my mother handed me my bow and arrow set, "I'm not going first, they can."

Tanbun transformed back into his kitsune form, "I'll go." Shippo, his father, walked forward and they took their places.

"Ready, son?"

Tanbun nodded and didn't wait to begin, "Kitsunebi!"4 Shippo easily dodged the little kitsune's attack and countered with his own Fox Fire blast. Tanbun disappeared right before being hit and appeared behind his father. "Looking for me?!" he exclaimed as he knocked him across the ground. Shippo jumped up and raced towards Tanbun. My friend pulled out a top, "Spinning Top!"

His father caught the top and stopped rushing towards him, "Enough, you've done well." Tanbun smiled as he and his father walked off the training grounds.

Sesshomaru and Yuukei walked onto the grounds and began their fight. My eyes darted here and there watching them. Sesshomaru had the upper hand as Yuukei's attacks kept missing him. Soon enough, though, was able to get one shot in, but he still lost as Sesshomaru knocked him clear across the grounds. I snorted as my uncle walked over and leaned against a nearby tree. Yuukei walked off the ground as well and sat down. Soon enough Hikari and Seiun had engaged in battle with each other under their parents surveillance. They were both evenly matched, Hikari had her magic and speed while Seiun had his magic and boomerang. We all watched as they exchanged blows to each other and soon enough, Hikari came out the winner. Seiun excepted defeat and they left the ground.

"My turn," I said as I ran onto the grounds and readied an arrow. I turned around, "Yumiya....."5 Before I had the chance to finish my attack I was thrown backwards by an invisible force.

"JESSE!" Tanbun screamed. I jumped up and looked around, trying to figure out where and what the force was. My eyes got wide as a huge shadow was cast in front of me. I turned around and there was the force, except it wasn't invisible anymore. My jaw dropped as I stared up at the abnormally large gokrakuchou6. It rushed at me and cut my arm.

"AH!"

My friends looked on, unable to help me because of the Gokrakuchou that were surrounding them.

I threw my bow and arrow set down and closed my eyes, _"This is the only way...."_ "I, the granddaughter of the former Demon of the Western Lands of Feudal Japan and of a noble Priestess, call upon thee.....my ancestors, come help me, lend me your strength...." My eyes shot open, _"Tetsusaiga, come to me and help me fight these demons!"_

Out of nowhere a bright light appeared in front of me. I held my hand out and curled it as if I was holding onto the hilt of a sword. As I did this the light started to fade and in my hand was my father's old sword, the tetsusaiga. I snorted at its katana form and waived it through the air. My father's eyes grew as the tetsusaiga took it's real form, a large overgrown sword that could kill 1,000 demons in one strike.

My mother spoke quietly, "How can she harness the power of Tetsusaiga....? Unless when Inuyasha turned full human there were left over traits of him being half dog demon......" 

"That's the only way...." my father stated, overhearing what she had said, "She's half demon like I once was, but she's not in her dog demon form, so how can she transform Tetsusaiga?"

"I'm not sure."

I hit the gokrakuchou with all my power but it still didn't have any effect against it. "Fine, then I'll do it my way...." I sheathed the tetsusaiga and ran towards my mother. My father shook his head as he watched me run towards them. When I reached my mom I snatched the Shikon Jewel from around her neck and turned around.

"Jesse, no!" my mother exclaimed.

"Sorry, this is the only way!" I yelled as I ran straight into the shack where the Bone Eater's well was. I jumped down the well and was transported to the Feudal Japan era.

I placed the jewel around my neck and jumped out of the well. And as luck would have it, the gokrakuchou was already there. "How in the hell did it get here?!" I snarled as I started running at full speed, using the power of the jewel. I arrived at a range of mountains and was greeted by even more Gokrakuchou. "Dammit!" I exclaimed stopping dead in my tracks. I unsheathed the tetsusaiga and it changed into it's true form. _"I don't know how I'm going to do this, but I've got to figure something out.....!"_

"The windscar, find the windscar....."

"What....the windscar? Wait, I remember now! The force created by two powers colliding against one another...." I closed my eyes and concentrated. "There it is!" I exclaimed jumping forward and hitting the windscar with the tetsusaiga. All but the one Gokrakuchou were destroyed with the blast that came from the sword. My eyes widened as the dust cleared, for the gokrakuchou was gone front sight. "Shit!" I yelled, my eyes darting from place to place. Then, without warning, I blacked out.

A few hours later I awoke in a cave on a bunch of hay. I removed the animal furs that covered my body and stood up. I walked out of the cave and was greeted by a young looking girl with pointy ears and covered in gray fur. "You're finally awake."

"Yes," I nodded, "Where am I?"

"Come, our leader will explain everything." I followed her until we came to a cliff at the top of the mountain. "Kerena, the injured one has awoken."

The girl turned around and smiled, "Thank you, Zarie." Zarie bowed and ran off in the direction we had come. "You, come here." I nodded and walked over to Kerena. "I believe these are yours."

My eyes widened as she handed me the Shikon Jewel and the tetsusaiga, "Yes, thank you."

"You should be more careful around here, you're lucky we found you and not another pack."

"Pack?" I questioned.

"Me and my pack...we're a tribe of wolf demons, see?" she said transforming into her wolf form and then back into her human form, "We are one of four wolf tribes that live among these mountains. We are the Southern pack of wolf demons that rule these mountains. Our tribe is lucky, unlike most demons that have been kicked out of their homes and forced to find new ones as of late."

"Why are they being kicked out?"

"You see, what's your name?"

"Jesse."

"Jesse, the Eastern wolf tribe, that is completely made of males like we are of all females, has been taking over lands of smaller demons."

"Like kitsunes?"

"Yes, they're completely helpless against the power of that tribe. The tribe is led by a very strong alpha male. He is the strongest of the tribe and the most ruthless. He is a cunning fighter, but even he is helpless against the--"

"Birds of Paradise, those things that attacked me. A common enemy, no doubt?"

Kerena nodded, "Right again. Gokrakuchous have fought with us as far back as I can remember. All we really want, though, is peace. Unlike that wolf tribe, who wants only to cause pain and chaos."

"I'll help you defeat them."

"What?" she said to me, shocked.

"Your tribe saved my life, Kerena, the most I can do is help you bring peace to the mountains....well, for the most part."

She smiled as Zarie ran back up to us, "Come on Jesse, me and my friends are going to show you how to survive here and on your own." Kerena nodded and I let Zarie drag me off.

We arrived at our location after about ten minutes. There were about a dozen of her friends and double that amount of wolves. "Jesse, you've got a lot to learn. Around here if you don't learn quick then you don't eat. If you use your head, trust me, it makes things a lot easier and you'll be right at home with us," Zarie told me as another girl walked over to us.

"I'm Malin. Here, to live, you'll need to practice every day with us." I nodded. "There's only one rule we live by is 'thou shall not get caught, get what you can and then get away', as fast as possible."

"I'm Serena, around here there are a lot of places to hide from trouble, so remember all of them....and also remember, we're going to always be on your side if you need us."

Zarie laughed, "Yeah, around here, if you've got the talent, everything is free. Watch us and you're gonna see how the best survive."

"Yeah, we make it look like art the way we stay alive," another girl smiled.

"So practically if I play the game brave and bold, I'll win."

"Oh yeah!" they all exclaimed.

Right at that moment, my training game began. I ran and the girls hunted. As I ducked between the trees and bushes I began to become familiar with the surroundings that covered the mountain. I climbed a nearby tree and jumped from branch to branch, sometimes backtracking to confuse my pursuers. Soon enough I had completed a large circle and was back at the cave, talking to a young girl when the wolves ran into the cave. I laughed as they collapsed to the ground and the demon girls ran in.

"Jesse, how long have you been here?!" Zarie asked me. I looked up and brooded quietly.

Finally the girl I was talking to answered for me, "About thirty minutes."

"How'd you get back here that fast?"

I grinned, "You didn't notice I kept bouncing from the ground to the trees and even going back the way I came. Here's an example of what I did: I jumped into a nearby tree and jumped around from tree-to-tree for about five minutes, in doing so going in a half circle design. I then jumped down to the ground and almost ran the rest of the circle, but before I made a complete circle I jumped back into the trees and jumped to the treetops. From there I jumped across the tops for about 20 minutes then dropped back to the ground, leaving a huge gap where my scent was barely noticeable. Knowing that you are wolf demons played a huge factor when your senses are your strongest attributes, and I also knew that you'd be relying mostly on your sense of smell for the chase, so I made it confusing and hard to stay on me."

"Well," Malin said as she and the other girls all sat down, "I can say this, you win."

I smiled, "Thanks." I waited a few minutes for them to get a little bit of rest then threw an impromptu question at them, "So, what game's next?"

They leaned over and sighed, "The game is over for now, we're getting some rest."

A couple of weeks later I was the one teaching the girls on survival and how to protect themselves. I can't even remember how many survival matches I went through against the tribe of wolves. Every second we had free from work it was, "Jesse, will you spar with me?". The one battle I enjoyed most was that against a girl named Aneli, she put up one hell of a fight.

"Goukatsume!"7

I held up my arms and braced myself for her attack. Her claws cut into my skin and knocked me backwards. I jumped back up and laughed, "Come on Aneli, you can do better than that! Now have a taste of my power! Tama Tamasii Hikage Sakuretsu!"8 My body glowed as the power of my sword and jewel shot through me and entangled themselves with my soul. Then the same power exploded from my body and engulfed Aneli within its light.

"What's going on?!" she yelled. 

Right at that moment I was thrown backwards as the light itself exploded. When the light faded I pulled myself to my feet and walked over to the bloodied body of my sparring partner. I knelt down, "You alright?"

Her eyes cracked open, "I think so...but man does that attack pack a punch or what?"

I laughed, "Sorry about that....."

A few girls ran up, "We heard an explosion, are you two alright?"

I looked Aneli and we both turned to the girls and gave them a thumbs up. I stood and then helped Aneli up, "Of course, we wouldn't be true demon warriors if we weren't." The girls smiled and agreed as we all headed back to the cave. Halfway there I heard a screeching sound and looked up to see a gokrakuchou.

"It's a Bird of Paradise!" one of the girls exclaimed.

"Take Aneli and get back to the cave as fast as you can! Get everyone inside and tell Kerena not to worry, I will take care of the gokrakuchou once and for all!" They nodded and took Aneli. I watched as they took off towards the cave and then I turned and ran in the opposite direction, East. "Come on you stupid overgrown turkey! See if you can sink those teeth into this!" I exclaimed patting my butt as the jewel's powers took over and I hit it into overdrive. About fifteen minutes later the gokrakuchou appeared in front of me, "Dammit!" I unsheathed the tetsusaiga and transformed it just in time to stab it into the gokrakuchou's harpy rider. It screeched and howled as I continued on towards wherever I could find to battle the gokrakuchou without harming any innocent lives. It wasn't long before I reached a mountain slope and turned to see the Bird of Paradise still right on my tail.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1 "Jerk!"

2 Pervert

3 "Mean bastard!"

4 "Fox Fire!"

5 "Bow and arrow....."

6 Birds of Paradise

7"Hell Fire Claws!"

8"Jewel Soul Shadow Explosion!"


	2. Wolves

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Part 2

Wolves

I sheathed the tetsusaiga knowing that defeating this one was impossible with it at the time. I ran up the mountain and stopped at the sight of a pack of brown wolves, so I knew I was no longer in Kerena's tribe's territory. A boy appeared beside them, "What are you doing? This is wolf demon territory!"

"Koga, look! It's a gokrakuchou!"

Koga looked up and noticed the overgrown harpy, "What in the hell? It's huge!" I noticed all of his companions and knew they would be killed if I didn't do something fast. I pulled the Shikon Jewel from around my neck and held it in my hands. The gokrakuchou noticed the jewel and came right at me. Right as it got to me it hit a barrier generated by the jewel.

"Move! Get in the cave, now!" I exclaimed.

All of the wolf demons and wolves ran into the cave except Koga, "Come on, you'll be killed!"

Right then I noticed a wolf pup on the outside of my barrier. It whined and the gokrakuchou turned around to attack it. I instantly dropped the barrier and ran over to the pup, using my body as a shield from the gokrakuchou's powerful claws. "AH!" I screamed as the bird sliced my back open with its claws. The pup peered up at me and whimpered, knowing I was injured. "Go, run to the cave, I'll be fine....." I said as the sun began to set. The pup hesitated and then ran for the cave. The gokrakuchou turned to go after it but stopped when it noticed I had stood up.

My eyes shot open as the full moon's light beamed down onto me. My whole body began to glow as my ears moved to the top of my head, my fingernails lengthened into razor sharp claws, my teeth sharpened, and my senses enhanced. Sight, hearing, smell, every sense improved dramatically. I stood there as my eyes changed from brown to gold and my hair from black to white. The gokrakuchou glared at me, recognizing what I had become. I glared up at the bird, "YOU JUST MESSED WITH THE WRONG DOG DEMON!"

Koga held the pup in his arms as he stared at me, "She's a half-blood, human and dog demon.....could she be related to Inuyasha?" Finally he noticed the Shikon no Tama which hung around my neck. "That's the Jewel of Four Souls, but does that make her Kagome's daughter as well?"

"This is it, I'm tired of being used as your stupid sharpening post!" I unsheathed the tetsusaiga and pulled the Shikon Jewel from around my neck again. I wrapped the jewel's chain around the hilt of the sword and the held the handle with both hands as it expanded to its full size.

"It's Tetsusaiga, she is their daughter!"

"Shikon Jewel, combine your powers with Tetsusaiga's to create a new power, the Hikage1 Tetsusaiga and the Shikon no Kouseki2, my new power!" The tetsusaiga's energy erupted from it as its features changed as did the Shikon Jewel's. My life energy also pumped through the tetsusaiga making it even more powerful. I glared up at the gokrakuchou and spotted the windscar. "Alright, you're mine!" I exclaimed hitting the windscar with Tetsusaiga. The gokrakuchou screeched and howled in pain as it was finally completely destroyed.

I watched as a few feathers fell to the ground before I fell as well. Koga ran over to me and helped me stand. He sheathed the tetsusaiga for me and then helped me inside the cave. All of his fellow pack members along with the wolves gathered around us as Koga laid me down on my stomach on his bed of hay. The wolf pup that I had saved jumped from his arm and cuddled next to my face. "Get me something to treat her wounds with!" A few of his friends ran off and returned a few minutes later with water, herbal medicine, and bandages. They handed the supplies to Koga and then everyone left the cave, leaving him to tend to my wounds. He ripped open rest of my torn shirt and inspected the cuts on my back. Koga cleaned the wounds to the best of his ability and then applied the medicine. After awhile he wrapped the bandages around my waist and then covered me with his animal furs. "I'll be back, watch over her," Koga said rising. The small pup nodded and rested his head by mine.

Only fifteen minutes later did I awake from my blackout. A wolf and the wolf pup greeted me. The wolf threw down an animal fur shirt. I put it on and walked out of the cave. "Hey, the girl's awake!" a wolf demon exclaimed. All of his friends turned their attention to me and watched my every move. I snorted and ran to the top of the mountain to survey the damage my attack had done on the surrounding forest. There was about two acres of damage, which wasn't bad for the amount of energy I had released. I unwrapped the crystal from the hilt of Tetsusaiga and placed it around my neck. I sighed as the small wolf pup came up beside me and started to yelp.

I knelt down and scratched his head, "Don't worry, I'm alright. I'm just glad that you're safe."

"You can understand my wolves?"

I stood and faced Koga, "Yes, I am a dog demon after all; besides, we're both canines so it's easy to understand him."

"So, what's your name?"

"Jesse."

"Nice to meet you Jesse. But I can't help but wonder, that jewel and sword you possess, aren't they the Shikon Jewel and Tetsusaiga?"

"Not any more, they're the Hikage Tetsusaiga and Shikon Crystal now--" my eyes widened, "--but wait, how do you know about them?"

"That sword belongs to Inuyasha, and the jewel, Kagome."

"You know my parents?!"

Koga nodded, "Yeah, I'm friends with them, but it's been awhile since I last saw them......about 24 years, I believe."

"Wait a minute, your name's Koga, right?" He nodded again. "My parents have mentioned you a few times, you used to be obsessed with my mom and was constantly fighting my father for her heart."

He twitched, "I wouldn't call it being obsessed, and he always started the fights!"

I turned around, "Yeah, right, I'm not going to fall for that one."

Koga stood there quietly and then walked over to me, "Why are you here? Why are you in this era?"

"I had to come here, that gokrakuchou came to my home in my time era with others smaller than it. I stole my mom's jewel and called the tetsusaiga to me for protection. My father used the jewel to become full human but the jewel remained instead of disappearing like it should have. I'm almost positive it stayed because of me, it knew there was going to be another girl born that could use its power."

"How long have you been in Feudal Japan?"

I shrugged, "A few weeks, more or less."

"How have you survived this long on your own?"

"I've been living with a bunch of demons. They took me in the last time that gokrakuchou used me as a scratching post and they took care of me. They also taught me how to hunt for myself and how to live on my own."

"That was nice of them."

"Yeah, it was. Well, Koga, thanks for the hospitality, but I'm going back to the other tribe to say my good-byes."

Koga's eyes widened, "Why, are you going home?"

I nodded, "I should, after all, the gokrakuchou has been destroyed, so it should be safe to return there." He just nodded so I turned and began back down the mountain.

The pup waited until I was out of hearing range and scratched at Koga's leg. "What is it?" Koga asked him.

The pup started to whimper, _"I like her a lot, I don't want her to leave, Koga."_

He knelt down, "Neither do I; I wish she could stay longer. I want to get to know her better."

The puppy began growling at him, _"DUH, STUPID! THEN ASK HER TO STAY HERE WITH US!"_

"She won't, she's going home. Besides, why would she like someone like me? She's probably got a mate in her own time era." The puppy snapped at Koga's leg and then ran down the hill after me. I heard the yelps coming from him though the forest. I stopped and he caught up to me in no time.

"What is it little one?"

He sat down and whimpered, _"Koga's a dumbass."_

"No, he's not, you know that."

__

"Fine, then he's stubborn and ignorant about his own feelings!" he snarled.

"What do you mean by that? Sure, I admit from the stories I've heard he is stubborn, but what do you mean ignorant about his own feelings? What feelings?"

__

"He and I both want you to stay here with us, we don't want you to leave yet. Please, will you consider staying with us for awhile?" I peered deeply into his sad eyes and could tell he was telling the truth.

I picked him up, "For how long?"

__

"I don't know, a few days, maybe a week?"

I brooded for a few seconds and then nodded, "Okay, I'll stay with you all for awhile, but when I choose to leave, I am going to leave no matter what, okay?"

__

"Alright with me!" he yelped. I smiled and scratched his head as I started back towards Koga's tribe's cave.

When I arrived there were two wolf demons on watch and the rest were sleeping. "Ya came back, I see!" Ginta exclaimed.

I nodded, "Fushichou3, here, convinced me to."

"Fushichou? Why'd you call him that?" Hakkaku questioned.

"I have my reasons," I stated plainly as I continued on to the cave. I walked inside and carefully made my to the back of the cave and placed Fushichou on Koga's bed. I laid down as well and placed furs on us. I smiled at Fushichou, "Good night."

__

"Good night."

A few hours later, Koga walked into the cave and sensed my smell. He continued to the back to find me and Fushichou asleep on his bed. He grinned, "You're good, little one, real good." With that he sat down against the wall and closed his eyes. I waited until he was in a light sleep and sat up. I moved carefully as not to wake Fushichou and went over to where Koga slept. I covered him with his fur blankets and then went back over and laid down next to Fushichou. Fushichou awoke and noticed what I had done so he curled up close to me, in an attempt to keep me warm. I smiled and welcomed him into my arms. Koga woke up and looked at the furs covering him and then over at me. He smiled and went to get up and return them to me.

__

"Don't even think about it wolf boy."

Fushichou snickered at my comment, _"You just got told, Koga!"_

"Watch it, little one, otherwise I might be tempted to have a midnight snack!"

"Y-you wouldn't....w-would y-you?" he stuttered. I giggled as Koga got up and walked over to me.

"Don't you dare," I whispered. He grinned and covered me back up with the furs. I rolled over, "I'm not going to take your furs, you use them."

"No, you go ahead, I'll be alright, as long as you're comfortable, that's all I need."

"Well, I'm not," I stated, "Because you're being a stubborn jerk!"

"You really want to see my bad side?" he growled into my ear.

"Bring it on, I could take you in no more than five minutes, tops."

Koga snorted, "I'd like to see it."

Fushichou yawned, _"Will you two shut up?! I'm trying to sleep!"_ I gave him a soft jab with one of my claws on his side and he stopped.

Koga laughed, "Finally, someone can actually keep the little one quiet."

"It's not little one anymore, Koga, it's Fushichou."

"Phoenix?"

"You'll see later on why I named him that."

"Anyway," he said changing the subject back, "Go to sleep, I'll be fine."

"No!" I argued again, "I refuse."

"Fine, then I'll also sleep here." My heart skipped a beat as he laid down behind me and covered himself with the furs as well. I held Fushichou close and he knew what I felt. He nudged me backwards so I accidentally leaned up against Koga. Koga and I blushed horribly.

"Sorry," I said leaning forward but was nudged backwards again, _"Stop it!"_

Fushichou snorted, _"No!"_ All of a sudden I got chills all the way up and down my spine. Koga noticed I was shivering and wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me close to him.

He rested his head right behind mine, "Good night, Jesse."

I blushed horribly, "Good night, Koga." Fushichou grinned at himself and his job well done.

Early the next morning I awoke still in Koga's hold. Fushichou and the other wolves and wolf demons were all gone from the cave. I yawned quietly and closed my eyes. _"Did you sleep well?"_

I jumped, "Don't do that!" I elbowed Koga's stomach.

"Ouch, what was that for?! I just asked if you had a nice sleep!"

"I did," I said standing up and heading towards the waterfall which served as a doorway to the cave. About halfway to the entrance I stopped as my body began to glow brightly. I turned to Koga who had risen and he watched as I became my human form again. I dropped to the ground, holding my head.

"Are you alright?!" he asked running over and kneeling beside me.

I nodded, "Yes, I'm fine, I just hurt from the transformation."

"Why does it hurt? It never hurt your father."

"He was almost always in his demon form though, he had more power than I do."

"I don't know about that, after your attack on that gokrakuchou yesterday, I'd say you're way stronger than he ever was."

"Thanks, but it's not true. I've always been like this, I usually can't even control my demon form, but for some reason last night I was able to. I don't know why, or how, but I felt as if someone or something was keeping me level, keeping my mind from going crazy like it usually does. In my own era, every full moon I run amuck throughout Tokyo and cause major destruction. In the morning I wake up back at the shrine right next to the Bone Eater's well, the well which allows travel between our two eras."

"Why next to the well?"

I shrugged, "I dunno, but it's better than being somewhere out in the city."

"True," he said as Ginta ran in.

"Something's happening, the wolves are all going berserk!" Koga and I jumped up and followed him out of the cave.

Once outside we saw what he meant. All the wolves were attacking the air as if something was there that we couldn't see. I squinted my eyes to see if I could force some of my demon powers out and allow me to see what it was they saw, but it failed. "Fine then, I'll pull off a trick my cousin, Yuukei, taught me." My eyes shot wide open as stripes appeared on my face. Using the powers of the jewel I made the transformation into a large dog demon similar to the ones Sesshomaru and Yuukei could become. I glared down and saw what the wolves were all frantic about. There was wandering spirits circling around them, teasing them by coming close and then moving away. I snarled loudly and the sound waves that came from my vocal chords bounced off the spirits, allowing the wolf demons to see what the wolves and I saw. All of a sudden I heard a loud, familiar yelp. _"Fushichou!"_ I transformed back into my human form and my eyes darted here and there trying to locate him. I noticed something wasn't right and I glanced up. There, in the arms of a spirit that reminded me of Kerena, was Fushichou. I nodded and ran off into the woods, leaving my newfound friends behind.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1 Shadow

2 Crystal

3 Phoenix


	3. Phoenix Spirit

****

Part 3

Phoenix Spirit

I arrived back at Kerena's tribe's cave to find them all preparing for war. I spotted Kerena, "Kerena, what are you doing?!" She turned around and I noticed something different about her, something evil. In fact, the whole tribe gave off the exact same vibe. All of a sudden I looked down and noticed my jewel was missing. I glared back at Kerena who held it in her hand. She tossed Fushichou into the air and I caught him, "Are you alright?"

He whimpered quietly, _"I'm sorry, I tried to stop them, but they were to powerful. They've been out for our tribe's heads forever. We called peace, but they continue to wish to fight out our differences, and now I'm afraid they have the power of your crystal backing them."_

I shook my head, "It's not your fault, we'll figure out something."

"No, you won't!" I turned and saw a glance of Serena before I blacked out.

I awoke, hog-tied to a stick, and being carried somewhere. I looked over beside me and there was Fushichou, also hog-tied. He was still blacked out so I closed my eyes and concentrated carefully as not to allow Kerena or her followers to hear me, _"Fushichou, it's me, Jesse. Fushichou, wake up!"_

"Huh? What? My head hurts."

"We were knocked out, they're taking us somewhere."

"These ropes hurt!" he whined.

"QUIET WOLF PUP!" Kerena exclaimed.

He hushed quickly, _"Jesse, what are we going to do? If I'm correct we're heading in the direction of my home! They're going to use us to get Koga to surrender and he will because he won't want anything to happen to either of us!"_ I glanced down and noticed my sword was also gone. I looked around finally seeing that Zarie was carrying it. She looked at me and I could tell she had no control over her body, and I got the bad feeling again that the rest of them were also pawns in a chess game no one would win.

Soon enough we arrived at the foot of Koga's mountain. I heard howls coming from Koga's wolves and then I heard all of the wolf demons and wolves assemble outside of the cave with Koga front and center. He peered down at Kerena, "So, you've finally come to fight us."

Kerena nodded, "Yes, but I fear that you're going to lose." She flashed my crystal as Zarie handed her the tetsusaiga.

"Where'd you get those?!" Koga barked. I groaned as me and Fushichou were brought into his and the tribe's viewing range. "Jesse! Fushichou!"

We kept our eyes shut, _"Shut up, you fool! They are being controlled by someone of a far greater power than any of us possess at this time. Fighting them would be sacrificing yourselves for nothing....DO NOT FIGHT! NO MATTER WHAT THEY DO TO US!"_

Koga shook his head, _"I can't.....I can't just let her hurt you two."_

"Did you hear us or not?!" I exclaimed, _"Stay out of this, Koga, and watch why I named the little one, Fushichou!"_ Koga's eyes grew wide as Fushichou and I both shot our eyes open. "Soul of the Phoenix, awaken, become one with this little wolf pup. Burn your power and knowledge into him, he is ready for them. Take him into your powerful wings and help him fulfill his destiny!" My crystal began to glow brightly and shot out of Kerena's hands along with the tetsusaiga. Beams released from the crystal cutting mine and Fushichou's restraints. We both landed on our feet and I grabbed the tetsusaiga along with my crystal, "Fushichou Seirei, deru! Yurusu ichidou miru junsui tsuyosa!"1

Fushichou rose up off the ground as the same aura surrounding my crystal enveloped him. Everyone watched as he grew into an overly sized, full-grown male wolf. Then the reason I named him Fushichou appeared; out of his back emerged a set of wings. Fushichou's fur burned the color of gold and his wings radiated the colors of fire, red and orange, along with a tad bit of green. His howl rumbled throughout the mountains, "It has been done, the power and knowledge of Phoenix Spirit has been passed on to a new master." Fushichou allowed me to climb upon his back and then he flew into the air.

I stood up at he hovered in the air, "This is a Calling!" I held up the crystal and it began to levitate between my hands, "Ancient powers of the Shikon Crystal, I call upon thee! Lock these poor girls away from harm until we are able to free their souls of the darkness which has overcome them! Shine forth and show those around us that you are the ultimate power and that together, nothing can stop us!"

The sky darkened as the crystal lit up again and rays of light erupted from it. The rays all shot down at Kerena's tribe and each ray enveloped a girl or wolf. I watched as the rays all shot back up towards me and reentered the crystal, locking the girls inside. Fushichou floated back down to the ground and I collapsed for what seemed like the hundredth time. By the time I looked up, Koga was at my side like he was earlier that morning. I blushed as he picked me up and carried me up into the cave. The other wolf demons, along with the wolves and Fushichou, all followed him in. He sat me down on his bed and I leaned against the wall.

Koga sighed, "Okay, explain what just happened."

"What part?" I asked the wolf demon.

"All of it," they all replied.

I sighed, "When I first arrived here in this era, that gokrakuchou I defeated followed me here from my era. I ran as far as I could, close to Kerena's camp, and used the tetsusaiga to defeat the smaller Birds of Paradise which were also looking for dinner. After doing so, when the dust settled, the large gokrakuchou was gone from sight and before I knew it, I blacked out. I awoke in Kerena's tribe's cave and they had taken care of my wounds by the time I had awoke. Some of Kerena's tribe members taught me how to hunt and take care of myself in this era. It just happened that one day while I was away the gokrakuchou found me and I ended up here. Then, while I had the shield around the cave, I first spotted Fushichou and I noticed something different about him. I knew at that moment he had the potential to take on the spirit of the phoenix which has been locked away for eons. It's a power my mother doesn't even know about. And the thing with the crystal, let's just say it's acting as a holding cell until I figure out what's going on and who's taken their souls and turned the tribe into their mindless pawns."

"I'm going to go with you," Fushichou said turning into a human form.

I nodded, "I'd like that."

Koga brooded for a few minutes then nodded, "I'm going as well."

I shook my head, "No, you have a responsibility here as the leader of your tribe. I have to do this alone, Fushichou is just my guardian."

"Please, I really want to go with you, if someone's taking over demons and turning them against others, I need to find them and destroy them. My tribe has been through enough already, I want to find out what's going on!"

I closed my eyes and thought quietly, _"Well, Fushichou, what do you think?"_

"Why ya asking me? I'm just a pup, remember?!" I giggled.

"What's so funny?" Koga asked.

"Nothing, it's just that you belong here, Koga. You need to understand, I have a responsibility as the holder of this stone and the tetsusaiga."

"I'm going with you whether you like it or not!"

"No! I don't care if I have to brainwash you to make you forget about me completely, because I will! STAY HERE, YOU....YOU STUBBORN LAMEBRAIN, JERKFACED, POOR EXCUSE OF A CANINE!"

With that I jumped up and ran out of the cave as quickly as possible with Fushichou following close behind. I ran until my legs could take me no more, which was a good thirty miles or so. I crashed on an embankment near a small creek.

Fushichou sat down next to me, "Why'd you call him a--"

"Stubborn, lamebrain, jerkfaced, poor excuse of a canine?" I finished.

"Yeah," he nodded.

"Because he is!"

"Why do you say that, what'd he ever do to you?!" Fushichou barked at me.

"In general he is! Here's my reasons: first, he's stubborn, he never takes no for an answer; two, he's a lamebrain, a complete half-wit; three, he's jerkfaced, completely wrapped up in himself; and four, a poor excuse of a canine, cause he should be a better leader to his tribe and not meddle in other's business as much as he does."

"He usually doesn't do that, he hasn't since he met your mother all those years ago. Koga only intrudes on the business of others he cares about. Koga would go out of his way for any one of his tribe members. He's a strong, willful leader, but he cares a lot for others and their feelings, and I believe he feels strongly about you as well."

"WELL HE SHOULDN'T! HE DOESN'T EVEN KNOW ME AND HE'S WHAT, LIKE A THOUSAND?! BESIDES, HE WAS IN LOVE WITH MY MOTHER, WHAT KIND OF GIRL WANTS TO DATE A GUY WHO WAS IN LOVE WITH HER MOM?!" I stood and screamed at him.

Fushichou stood up and lowered his vision to the ground, "You."

My heart stopped, "What was that?"

"I know you care about him, maybe just a little, but the feeling's definitely there. When you released the spirit for me, you also became part of me, we're united....connected together through our souls. I know you care for him because every time you think of him you get butterflies, for cryin' out loud! And even if you did hate him for your reasons, you still wouldn't of shoved him away like that; you're not that way. You're just afraid that he's going to get hurt looking out for you like Inuyasha did many times for Kagome."

I kept my back turned to him as I listened to him talk. He was right, I did care, but I couldn't go any further than that. My heart wasn't meant for love, and it never would be ever again. A guy I had cared about died for me when I was only seven. He was demon like me and it was a full moon out the night it happened, so I was out in the city. That night I was attacked my a bunch of demons which lived in the forest outside of town and if he hadn't shown up, I would of lost my life, but instead he took his own to save me. His name was Kaminari, meaning lightning, which he was. He moved faster than any demon and was always there and gone without warning. I loved him, even though I was so young, I truly did. After that night I swore I'd never love again, I refused to because of the pain that Kaminari's death had caused me.

"He can forget it, I will never care about him. Friends, okay, but I don't care what happens to him, he can fend for himself and go find himself another demon to play with!" I exclaimed running off, using the power of the crystal to enhance my speed. I ran for hours upon hours before I finally stopped at a large clearing. I walked to the center and twirled around, then dropped to the ground and closed my eyes. As I slept I had the feeling something wasn't right.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Spirit of the Phoenix, (to) appear! (To) Allow (all of) us to see true power!"


	4. Deception

****

Part 4

Deception

I was back at Koga's cave and saw him sitting with his tribe and wolves. "This is it, we search for her starting now. When you find Jesse, bring her to me. I don't care if it's dead or alive, but alive would be better because then I could put her out of her own misery!" The tribe all jumped up and ran out of the cave. Koga grinned, "The Shikon Crystal will soon be mine...." I turned and I saw Fushichou appear next to him. "So?" Koga asked him, not moving.

"She heads north and has a large lead on the pack, but she rests for now. If the tribe is quick they might be able to come near to her."

Koga nodded, "You and I shall go, the two of us together should be good enough to make it to her before she awakes...."

My eyes widened, "No....."

There was a flash and I was back at Kerena's camp. Yuukei surveyed the ground and sighed, "She hasn't been here for awhile, but her scent is stronger from the north.....she's mine......"

Sesshomaru nodded, "Let us go then." I went to say something but was standing by the well. Kirara and Tanbun jumped out of the well as Kirara transformed into her real form, a large cat-like demon. She looked around as Tanbun jumped on her back and she flew into the air. They hovered there for a few seconds, then turned and headed north towards me as well.

Back in my own era I saw Hikari and Seiun with all of our parents. "She must be caught and punished for what she has done," Seiun stated.

Hikari nodded, "Don't worry, with Sesshomaru, Yuukei, Tanbun, and Kirara on her trail, we'll have Tetsusaiga and the Shikon Jewel back in no time."

My mother sighed, "She might have already been killed another demon after the sword and jewel."

"Don't worry about her Kagome, she's fine, if she's a half-breed then she'll be okay....until we get ahold of her, that is." They all laughed as I returned to the clearing I was in.

I sat up and gasped for breath, "Was just a dream.....or was it real?"

__

"You already know the answer to that, Jesse. They are all after your Crystal and Hikage Tetsusaiga, now that you have transformed them, with those two weapons a demon would be unstoppable. They could take over the Feudal Japan era along with yours in no time at all...."

"They're all against me? They want to kill me? Yes....they are after them, they're jealous of the power I possess. They wish to obtain it for their own welfare....just like Kerena and her tribe."

__

"Exactly...." the voice said quietly. I stood up and felt a new power inside of me. I welcomed it into myself and concentrated on what I had to do, destroy those who opposed me. I transformed into my dog-like form and ran off into the distance.

I came upon a village not to far from the well I first used to enter the Feudal Era through. I ran into the village and began to attack the people of the village. "Lady Kaede, it's a demon!" I growled and ran towards her at full speed. She held up a rosary necklace and said a few words. I turned into my human form and the crystal glowed brightly. The rosary beads repelled off me and returned to the priestess.

"Your pathetic anti-demon chants won't work on me, I possess the Shikon Crystal."

"What does ye mean, Shikon Crystal, demon? Ye mean the Shikon Jewel?!"

"Hell no!" I retaliated, "The Shikon Crystal is a much more powerful stone created by my powers fusing with the jewel....now enough talk, this is it! You're all done for!" I unsheathed the tetsusaiga and it transformed into its true form. I smirked, "You messed with the wrong dog demon!" I ran at the priestess, ready to kill.

"STOP IT JESSE! THEY'RE NOT THE ONES WHO WISH TO POSSESS THE CRYSTAL!" I stopped and glared at the small kitsune standing in front of the priestess.

"BACK OFF SHIPPO! THIS ISN'T ANY OF YOUR BUSINESS!"

"NO, BUT IT BECOMES OURS WHEN YOU THREATEN OUR FRIENDS!"

"WHOMEVER TOLD YOU THAT WE'RE YOUR ENEMIES WAS LYING! DON'T LISTEN TO THEM, JESSE!" Tanbun exclaimed appearing with Kirara.

I turned and ran at them, "You two are the first ones on my list!"

"Listen to me, Jesse, we're not the ones you're after!" he said quieter, "We're on your side!" I lunged at him but was reflected by another sword.

"Tensaiga!" I yelled looking around, "Yuukei, where are you hiding?!"

"I'm not hiding, Cuz, I'm right here," he said appearing in front of me and grabbing the tensaiga.

"Don't Cuz me! You're all in on it together, all of you!" Sesshomaru appeared behind me and grabbed me. I dropped the tetsusaiga and Yuukei retrieved it as Tanbun pulled the crystal off my neck. I screamed and bit Sesshomaru on the hand, in which he released me. I turned and glared at them all, "YOU ARE ALL GOING TO PAY FOR THIS!" I began to change into my dog demon form again but stopped when I saw another vision.

"NO, FUSHICHOU!" Koga yelled running and jumping in front of Fushichou.

"KOGA!"

"AH!!!"

"NO!!!!" Fushichou howled as Koga dropped to the ground, killed by me, "JESSE, WHAT IN THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?! YOU KILLED KOGA!!!"

As I stared at Koga's lifeless image and it began to change. I watched as everything around us changed to the night of Kaminari's death, and Koga's body became Kaminari's. "No...it can't be....I didn't kill him....."

__

"Didn't you?! He was protecting you from the demons that night....it's your fault he's dead.....you killed him, Jesse. If you weren't so weak he might still be alive, but no, you're just a pathetic little dog demon who runs away with her tail between her legs!"

I screamed and dropped to the ground, "I DO NOT! I DON'T RUN FROM ANYTHING! I'M NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR HIS DEATH.....!!!" Everyone got quiet and watched me. "I-I just can't be....." I sobbed, "Kaminari, I didn't--I swear, it's not my fault, please......oh, Kaminari, why can't you be here with me?"

__

"But I am, Jesse, maybe not in person, but I am here with you and I always will be. I protected you that night because I knew of the powers that laid dormant inside you, all you needed to release them was to be pushed over the edge. That night you saved Fushichou and Koga's tribe, your powers were released. Sure, you're not at your full potential yet, but you'll get there. Jesse, you can't let those images get to you, the evil which has plagued the Feudal Japan era, is causing those images....causing demons of all types to go insane......you can't fall victim to them, you're not that weak! Stand up and be strong! Make me proud, Nobara!"

I sat on the ground for about ten minutes before I got the strength and the courage to stand. I kept my head bowed as I spoke to my comrades, "Take the crystal and sword back to my parents, but leave me be. I belong in this world....." And with that I disappeared into the night, hoping to get as far away from all demons, animals, or humans that I may try to hurt. Finally I came to a spot where I couldn't sense anyone or anything's presence so I stopped there for the night. I laid back and stared up at the cloudless sky, "I can't believe it, after all this time, Kaminari is still watching over me." I wiped my eyes and smiled, "But I guess I knew he was all along, he was always there for me before, so why would his passing stop him?" I started to doze off when I felt a familiar presence. I sat up and concentrated on it, trying to figure out who it might be.


	5. Crusade for the Truth

****

Part 5

Crusade for the Truth

Koga watched me quietly from a safe distance after hearing of what had happened at Lady Kaede's village, _"Why would she think we were against her? I could never do that. She doesn't know who I really am, but maybe it's for the better her not knowing.... My future self, the reborn version of me, Kaminari. I want to tell her, but I don't think she should know about me...."_

"Well, it depends how much you truly care about her, whether or not she should know."

Koga snorted at the voice of Kaminari in his head, _"Don't you know how to knock first?!"_

"Hehe, nope. Koga, you care about her as much as I did in the future. If you wish her to know then just tell her we are one."

"I guess you're right....." Koga sighed jumping from his treetop perch.

I still sat quietly, trying to figure out who in the hell I could feel present, "It feels so familiar......" As Koga walked closer, the feeling I had ate more and more away at my heart, "It almost feels as if Kaminari was here."

Koga came within twenty feet of me, then stopped, "Hey Nobara, you okay?"

My eyes widened as I jumped up and turned around, "Kaminari?!" Koga walked into my viewing range. "Oh, Koga, it's you....but you called me 'Nobara', only Kaminari used to call me that."

Koga nodded, "I know."

"How do you know? You don't even know who Kaminari is!"

Koga shook his head, "That gokrakuchou should of killed me that night you saved my tribe."

I thought quietly as I finally realized what he meant, "Y-you mean you're K-Kaminari.....?"

Koga smiled, "Kaminari is myself reborn in the future, but you changed that when you came to the past. You were never supposed to come here, but whatever is causing the darkness to fall upon this world has drawn you here......Jesse, what's wrong?"

I looked up at him and he saw tears rolling down my face. "I'm sorry for being so rude to you, Koga, and I'm sorry for everything else that I've done, I just--"

He walked over and pulled me close to him, "Jesse, whatever your reasons are, I don't care. It's in the past and right now we've got more important issues to deal with."

"But I--"

Koga hushed me again and gazed into my eyes, "I care about you so much, please don't let anything stop you in your fight."

I smiled, "As long as you are there to fight with me."

"I wouldn't dream not being there, I will be by your side forever."

When Koga said that, all the hate and fear inside of me melted away. I gazed deeply into his eyes and saw the real Kaminari within him. I leaned up and kissed him on the cheek, "Thank you, my friend."

He nodded and sighed, "I've got a question, why did you like Kaminari?" I didn't say anything so he lifted my gaze back to his, "Kaminari is within myself now and I need to know why you liked him so I can put his stupid mind at ease."

"I really don't know, I guess it was just the fact that he was always there for me...and he was really cute....."

Right then I heard the beat of wings and I turned to see Fushichou, in his human form, stand up. "Sorry if I came at a bad time, but I was asked to bring these to you." He pulled out Tetsusaiga and the Shikon Crystal.

I took them both and sighed, "Who told you to bring them here?"

"US!" Seiun exclaimed as Kirara landed and he along with Hikari and Tanbun jumped off. Soon enough Yuukei joined us as well.

"How did you two get here? You shouldn't of been able to."

"Yuukei, Tanbun, and Kirara returned with the crystal and we used it to come here," Hikari smiled, "We wanted to come to begin with, but you stole the crystal, remember?"

"Hehehe," I scratched my head, "Sorry, I guess when those Birds of Paradise attacked us I went on gut instinct, it doesn't help I am half demon."

"Don't worry about it, we're just glad you've got your head on straight finally."

I twitched, "What was that, Tanbun?!"

"Ah! Jesse on the loose!" he yelled as he transformed into his human form and ran off. I chased him down and tackled him finally. He screamed and hollered as I laughed at his attempts to get away from me.

"It's good to see those two fight, it's usually you and her," Hikari said to Seiun.

Seiun grinned, "Yeah, I guess."

Yuukei looked over Koga and snorted, "You're the leader of the Demon Wolf Tribe?"

"Yeah, what of it?"

"Coulda fooled me."

"AND WHO ARE YOU TO BE MAKING ACCUSATIONS?!" Koga yelled at him.

Tanbun and I returned to the small group and I stood between the two bickering. I looked at Koga, "Koga, I'd like you to meet my cousin, Yuukei, the Demon of the Western Lands, Lord Sesshomaru's, son."

"You're related to him? I thought you had better blood in you that ."

"Watch it, wolf boy, I don't take lightly to those who chase after my family."

Koga glared at him, "I'm not chasing after her!"

"Will you two stop arguing?!" I exclaimed.

They both went quiet as Fushichou put his hand on my shoulder, "It's alright, Jesse, things will work out. Besides, everyone, we've got more important things to deal with right now. We've got to figure out who or what is causing the chaos in this era. I'm afraid if we don't figure it out soon, that it might start to really effect your era as well."

We all nodded, "Yeah."

After about twenty minutes I came up with a plan that I knew they'd be skeptical about, "Let's split up; two go north, two go south, and so on."

"Isn't that a little risky, though? What if we get into trouble? Two of us might not be enough," Fushichou asked.

"Each group would have a demon who can move quickly and knows their way around. Let me see...Seiun, Koga, and Kirara; Hikari and Hachiemon; Tanbun and Yuukei; and me along with Fushichou."

"Who's Hachiemon?" Hikari asked me.

"An old friend of your father's," I stated as I put my hand on the jewel, _"Crystal, find Hachiemon Raccoon and bring him here!"_ In no more than 5 seconds was a short, chubby demon raccoon standing in front of me.

"Lady Jesse, what do you need of me?"

"Not me, Hikari," I pointed to her, "She is the daughter of Sango and Miroku, you shall aide her in her quest."

He nodded, "Very well, then."

"Why are the three of us together?" Seiun asked me.

"Every group also has to have someone who knows their way around this world, Kirara may know the world, but it has changed since she was last here so that's where Koga comes in. Yuukei knows his way around because he comes here often, and I also know my way around by being here for as long as I have."

Yuukei sighed, "Well, if we're going, then let's go." We all nodded.

"Alright, Yuukei and Tanbun, you can travel the fastest so head south; Hikari and Hachiemon, you both head east; Koga, Seiun, Kirara, you three head west; Fushichou and I will continue north. We will meet back at Lady Kaede's village in a week, that should give us enough time to get a lot of ground covered."

"What if something happens?" Tanbun questioned, "What if we get attacked?"

"I will make it so we can send messages telepathically to one another. That way if anyone gets attacked or if a group gets separated someone will come to help you," I placed my hands around the crystal and held it tightly, "Everyone, place a hand or paw on me." Kirara changed into her small catlike form and jumped onto my head as the rest all placed a hand on me. "Crystal of Four Souls, I, Jesse, call upon your powers. Give everyone the power of telepathy for this journey ahead of us....use your power to grant this skill upon us!" The crystal began to glow brightly and enveloped everyone in it.

When the light faded away Kirara jumped off my head and transformed back into her true size. Everyone looked at each other wondering if it had worked so I broke the seal, _"LET'S GET A MOVE ON PEOPLE! WE DON'T HAVE ALL DAY!"_ The entire group looked at me and nodded, signaling they had heard me. Yuukei called his winds and he and Tanbun left first. After they were out of sight, Hachiemon transformed into a huge cloud like form and Hikari sat on top of him as they flew off into the distance.

Koga walked over to me and took my hand in his, "Jesse, be careful out there, I want to be able to see you again."

I smiled, "Don't worry, it'll be alright, but just in case, you three be careful as well, and don't fight with each other either." He nodded and kissed my cheek like I had done to his earlier. Kirara then walked over to us with Seiun already on her back. Koga let my hand go and climbed on to Kirara's back and she took off. Fushichou walked over to me and transformed into his phoenix wolf form. I climbed onto his back and we took off into the sky as well.


	6. Black Night

****

Part 6

Black Night

As we flew through the starry sky I thought about Kaminari and Koga, trying to figure out how they were the same person. Koga was completely different from Kaminari was. I sighed, "I guess it doesn't really matter.....my mom said she was different from Kikyo."

"Jesse, pay attention, I can't detect everything on my own, you know!"

I shook my head, "Sorry, Fushichou."

"What were you thinking about? I tried getting through to you for ten minutes!"

I grinned and shrugged, "You know, stuff...."

"Yeah, yeah, boys of course."

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

He laughed, "You've always got boys on the mind!"

"I do not! I have only one guy on my mind and that's--"

"Who, Koga? Trust me Jesse, he is not all he's cracked up to be. Take my word for it, I've lived with him since I was born, Koga's not the best choice for a mate."

"Thanks Fushichou, that makes me feel SO much better, and who said anything about A MATE?!"

"Hehehe....." he trailed off, "Maybe I should start keeping my thoughts to myself."

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea!" I said hitting him across the back of the head.

"Okay, that wasn't even cool!" he growled at me, "Wait a minute, didn't you say earlier that I should be more open with my thoughts?!"

I growled, "No!"

Later on that night I was awoken by a sharp pain. My eyes shot open and I noticed I was laying on the ground and Fushichou was sprawled next to me, lifeless. I sat up as my eyes darted around trying to figure out what in the hell had happened to Fushichou. Then I felt it, something was coming, something powerful. I crawled to Fushichou's side as a young man appeared before us and the powerful being I had sensed disappeared.

"My, my, seems you have gotten into a tight situation, haven't you?"

"Who are you?!"

"My name? It's Kuroi, what's yours?"

"I'm asking the questions here!" I exclaimed, "Where do you come from and what do you want with us?!"

"I'm a wanderer, I go many places, and I want nothing but to help you, if you will allow me to that is," he said walking towards us.

"Back off!" I yelled back to him as I stared down at Fushichou, _"Come on Fushichou, wake up! Please, you just can't die, you just can't!"_

Kuroi knelt down next to us, "Please, let me help you." He placed his hand on Fushichou.

"Don't touch him!" A light glow came from his hand and surrounded us and Fushichou. I could feel warmth coming from the light. "What are you doing to him?!"

The light disappeared as quickly as it had emerged and Fushichou's eyes opened and he stood up. "I was only helping, like I said I wanted to," Kuroi said standing as well. I looked up at Fushichou and then up at Kuroi who had extended his hand to me, "Come on, I won't bite, I promise."

I took his hand and he helped me up, "Who are you?"

"I already told you, but if you want my full name it's Kuroi Stoleck."

"Nice to meet you, Kuroi, I am Jesse Higurashi."

"And I am Fushichou, Jesse's guardian," he said shaking himself, letting the grass and dirt fall off him.

"The pleasure's mine, Jesse, Fushichou," Kuroi smiled, "Come on, I bet you're both hungry. I made camp not too far from here and I have food if you wish to join me."

I looked back at Fushichou and he nodded. I turned to Kuroi, "We'd love to."

"Alright, come on."

At the camp while we ate we talked about a lot of things. "You say you were attacked? By what?"

"I don't know, and I don't believe Fushichou does either. All I know is it has to be the evil that has plagued the Feudal Era with its poison. We are in search for this evil and we plan to destroy it, even if it means giving our lives to do so."

"I, too, have been on a quest. You see, I am the last remaining member of my village for my village was totally destroyed when I was only fifteen. For four long years I have wandered these lands hoping to find those who killed my people and avenge their deaths," Kuroi explained, "I still can see the night it happened and I have the scars to prove that I, too, was in fact injured during the attack. But for some reason, I survived, and in doing so gained powers, one of which you saw earlier."

"Oh yeah, I forgot to thank you for saving Fushichou's life earlier."

"There is no need, Jesse, it was the least I could do."

I smiled and looked over at Fushichou who had just finished eating as well as I had. He walked over to me and laid down behind me, _"We should get some rest and then head out in the morning."_

I nodded and turned back to Kuroi, "We're going to get some sleep, good night."

Kuroi nodded, "Okay, sleep well, you two."

After we had fallen asleep, Kuroi stood and walked away from the two of us. As he walked away he transformed into a different being, the one with the powerful aura I had felt earlier. "My dear Jesse, you shall be mine before today is over, I promise you that."


End file.
